| At this afternoon's regular Grand Forks County Commission
meeting, decision makers will ponder a potentially smelly matter.
The immediate issue is whether to grant a special use permit allowing
the dumping and incorporation of sugar beet tailings on land north of
Grand Forks. The underlying issue is what to do when the neighbors don't
want such agricultural byproducts nearby.
Beet tailings and pulp are left over from the sugar-making process.
Much is used for cattle feed, but there is so much produced that other
disposal means are necessary, and the byproducts make good fertilizer.
Tom Brule, owner of a trucking company that transports some of American
Crystal Sugar Co. beet tailings and pulp, wants a special use permit to
dump them on over 100acres of land a few miles north of Grand Forks.
People who live from 1/2 a mile to 5 miles away from the proposed site
are concerned about damage to gravel roads and the smell associated with
the byproducts' decay. They want Brule's permit application denied.
At last week's County Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, members
approved Brule's request. They stipulated:
- That the tailings be trucked in winter and that a 35 mph speed limit
be observed to minimize wear on roads.
- That the beet tailings -- limited to 100 tons per acre -- be
incorporated into the soil as soon as possible in the spring to curb
possible odor. The permit is pending approval from the County
Commission, which is expected to hear arguments today.
For a group of neighbors organized around the issue, the committee's
stipulations aren't good enough, nor is the fact that such dumping is
regulated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, or that Brule has a
good reputation with Polk County (Minn.) Environmental Services.
Kim Johnson, a neighborhood leader who lives a mile south of the
proposed site, said Monday that Minnesota regulations don't govern Grand
Forks County and that the process is unregulated by North Dakota.
Brule said in the four years he's contracted to dump beet tailings and
pulp in Polk County, only one complaint has been filed, and that was
"a very minor problem that was immediately corrected," according
to a letter written to the zoning committee by Polk County Environmental
Services.
"That gives you an idea on how I conduct my business," Brule
said, adding that a worst-case scenario with pulp and tailings could
produce "a slight odor for a day or two.
"I feel that if they're dumped across the road (from a homeowner),
I could see a concern," he said. "But I've dumped within half
mile of residents before, and I've seen no complaints from them."
Brule said he's invited Johnson and her group to tour his operation.
"They'll get on the Internet and try to find all the bad things
about it, and no one will come out and see what's going on," he said.
Johnson acknowledged receiving Brule's invitation but said she and
another organizer instead met Sunday with Polk County residents who live
near dump sites and were told odor and fly problems remain when wet
weather prevents the tailings from being worked into the soil.
Johnson also believes area roads won't stand up against the increase in
heavy traffic. She said roads near Polk County dump sites are in poor
shape.
Connie Triplett, a Grand Forks County commissioner who sits on the
planning and zoning committee, said the odor and road issue each can be
solved, but in contradictory ways.
Triplett said that the odor is best controlled by dumping during summer
months and immediately disking the tailings into the soil. Hauling in
winter, which is best for the roads, means the tailings sit and may
decompose further before the ground dries enough for disking in spring.
Johnson acknowledged the tailings make excellent fertilizer. She lauded
what she said were Crystal Sugar's attempts to educate her on the subject.
She said it's clear they want tailings disposed of properly. And she said
Brule "has extremely good intentions," adding that she'd be
happy to work with everyone involved to find dumping sites farther away
from people.
Johnson and Brule said it's possible North Dakota will adopt
Minnesota's guidelines about disposal, but Johnson said other states have
better guidelines than Minnesota.
Triplett called the issue a tough one and would make no predictions
about the commission's upcoming decision. She said it's hard to identify a
dump site with adequate roads and no neighbors.
"We all know Crystal is a significant part of the economy, and
farmers are trying to make a living selling beets to Crystal, so we can't
just say, 'You can't do this anywhere,'" she said. "We have to
allow for a waste site, but have to be concerned about the
neighbors." |